Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-09-30
THE wAH, OR cAT-BEAR.
Curious Appearance of Big cared and
Long-TaIled Little Creature.


Two distinct genera of the panda-
or wah, as it is commonly ealled-have
been discovered, one quite recently;
and if we suppose the different groups
of the animal kingdom to be repre-
sented by great chain, the panda
would form the link connecting the
raccoon-like animals, or, to be more
precise, the Kinkajou, with the true
bears.
The panda of this sketch is known
as Atlurus .t1lgems, and is a beautiful
little creature, about the size of cat,
having many ways and habits that call
to mind these domestic pets. Its face
has an expression that may described
as inquisitive. Its fur is extremely
handsome, being soft and thick; and
its tail-a most conspicuous object
is very long and plume-like, and SEEM
ingly much larger than the wah itself.
Even in its color, the animal is remark
able, if we cali to mind the coloring OF
most of our quadrupeds, such as cats
and bears, that, as rule, are dark
above and light beneath. In the panda
this is reversed. The back colors are
rich cinnamon-red, gradually merging
into a tawny yellow or fawn, while in
stead of being white beneath, the fur
is deep black---its rich luster resem-
bling the finest satin. The face of the
panda has some white coloring, and
the tail is extremely noticeable for it's
ornamentation, being ringed with al
ternate stripes of cinnamon-red and
yellow. Its colors so impressed the
famous naturalist, Cuvier, that, after
examining a specimen, he pronounced
it the most beautiful of all quadrupeds
Some years ago panda was brought
to England and placed in the collec-
ton of the London Geological Society,
and watched by naturalists for long
time. So curious were its movements
that it attracted universal attention.
In the first place its walk was seen to
be plantigrade, as in the true bears;
in other words it walked on its whole
foot-an instance of the reverse of
plantigrade being seen in the horse,
that walks upon the tip of its four toes
ON its toe-nails, in fact.
If we examine the soles of the panda' 8
feet we shall find them protected with a
woolly covering, and many assume from
this that the animal does not come from
a tropical climate, and this is the case,
it having been discovered by General
Hardwicke, the English naturalist, in
the Eastern Himalayas, where in high
attitudes, above the snow-line, it made
its home; frequenting the borders OF
rushing mountain torrents, and making
its nest among the rocks and caves OF
almost inaccessible regions.
For many years this one specimen
was the only representative, and up te
the year 1874 the animal was supposed
to be confined to the locality in which
it was originally found; but about this
| time the Able David discovered that il
also lived in the lofty ranges of East
ern Thibet. He also heard the Chinese
hunters speak of a wonderful animal
which they called the Pae-Shioung, this
| meaning literally white bear. The
hunters described it as one of the mos,
beautiful of all animals; bear with a
| coat of pure white, not coarse, but OF
silk-like softness. The story was doubt
ed at first, but finally the able obtained
a specimen of the animal-a beautiful
creature that Milne Edwards named tn,
| Ailuropas naelGnoleucus.
In appearance the newly-dfscoveret
cousin of the panda is extremely strik
ing. 1t resembles large bear in siz,
and appearance, with pure white coat
with the exception of black bant
across the back. The new panda il
only found in the highest forests, wher,
it is said to live upon vegetable food
much after the fashion of bears in gen
eral. A specimen, believe, has never
been brought to the United States, ant
even the small panda is so rare tina
few collections boast of one.-Golde,
Days.